Oscar and Arabella

Oscar and Arabella

by Neal Layton

Oscar was a woolly mammoth. And so was Arabella. Did anyone ever tell you that woolly mammoths weren't very smart? Don't believe them if they did! Oscar and Arabella were two woolly mammoths who had to think very fast to outwit the scary creature lurking in the cave. Quirky and imaginative—this is a startlingly distinctive picture book, wildly and wittily illustrated.

Genres: Picture Books, Friendship, Animals

27 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2002

About the author

Neal Layton is the illustrator of POOP, EXTREME ANIMALS, WHAT's EATING YOU, and JUST THE RIGHT SIZE, all written by Nicola Davies. Neal Layton lives in Portsmouth, England.

Reviews

[Edward Sojuwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

From mammoth expert (so it would seem) Neal Layton comes one of his smaller books for kids about those big woolly prehistoric elephants no one sees anymore. Awww.
It's about two mammoth friends, Oscar and Arabella, two souls who find each other in the cold tundra of the Triassic period. Their friendship will see them thru lots of adventures: they paint little pictures for scientists to find centuries later...how nice of them to think that far ahead! They run into an ugly Neanderthal type who doesn't like being bothered when he's warming his fingers at a little fire. They spray water thru their trunks, the water becomes snow, and poof! The bad caveguy is a human SnoCone! (Not to worry, he'll Neander- Thaw! A real treat for early history fans. It's not the Flintstones, and it ain't Clan of the Cave Bear, it's somewhere inbetween. And it's SWEEEET!
Four stars
A Mammoth undertaking that ROCKS!

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

So weird and so good. This book is a fictional, cartoonish look into the life of the woolly mammoth. "They liked to keep FIT especially when their lives depended on it," that is, when pursued by the mean caveman.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really funny book and useful to introduce the stone age to children. With its scribbley, abstract drawings and its child-like mammoth characters, it is very charming. I like the twist by portraying humans as the most dangerous animal, which is a fact.

[Liam Stamp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes you can judge the book with what to expect within the story and it’s theme. However, I did not expect plenty of facts and figures surrounding Mammoths around a story. A nice simple book which is great for children learning about other animals they may no recognise (Reception/Year 1)

[Cara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two woolly mammoths that are bffs who seem to like everything in moderation. Adventure, but not too much, and that goes for pretty much everything in their lives.

[Jvermeersch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eentje om vlot te lezen bij bedtijd. Niet zo veel speciaals over te zeggen. Redelijk leuk, grappig, schattig, maar al bij al ook snel vergeten.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

If madcap woolly mammoth escapades (that are not too scary) are your thing, this story is easy to enjoy. Oscar and Arabella's adventures with wild and dangerous animals are very funny and I like artwork which is a mix of energetic drawings with collaged textures and photographs. Not big on scientific accuracy, there is a more serious segment at the end about the link between mammoths and elephants.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute!

[Thia]

friendship, adventures, woolly mammoths